Substance Use Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Background: Exposure to addictive substances commonly occurs during childhood and adolescence and it adds more adverse consequences in life course. However, evidence is scarce for management of substance use disorders in this population. Methods: We searched for published literature of previous 10 years on PubMed, Cochrane database, and Google Scholar until June 2021. The literature found relevant was organized into various subheadings like epidemiology, etiology, screening, and prevention and treatment. Results: Alcohol and tobacco remain the most commonly used substances amongst children and adolescents the world over, closely followed by cannabis. High-risk populations including street children are most severely afflicted. There are a multitude of risk factors ranging from biological to psychosocial, most importantly parental drug use and adverse experience in childhood. Public health initiatives including school, family, and community interventions have shown promising results. Early screening for substance use is beneficial with special attention on externalizing disorders. Studies on pharmacological treatment remain sparse while psychosocial interventions employing different modalities such as behavioural- and contingency-related techniques have shown initial promise. Conclusions: Adolescents and children are more prone to substance use and associated risk-taking behavior. There is a vital need for well-designed studies for assessing risk and protective factors, comprehensive screening, prevention, and intervention modalities in children and adolescents including street children and other high-risk population.